Device for stacking sheet metal and the like



June 18, 1929,

DEVICE FOR STAQKING SHEET METAL AND THE LIKE J.'H. YOUNG ET AL FiledMarch 9, 1928 Patented June is, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN 1:. You're AND WILBUB e. rnmx, or mnpm rown, new YORK, assreuons To1 THE BORDENCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW J'ERSEY.

Application filed larch 9, 1928. 'serial 1%. 260,345.'

The invention relates to an improvement in devices for stacking sheetmetal, such as the blanks used in forming tin cans and other articles.

The machines employed in cutting up sheets of metal into]. blanksoftherequisite size usually comprise two sets of cutters, one set for dividinand trimming the sheet, and

for cutting the divided, sheet the other set into blanks. The cuttersfor cutting the blanks usually discharge the blanks onto a conveyorlocated beyond the cutters and traveling transversely of the directionof movement of the blanks discharged by the cutters. The blanks landside by side on the conveyor. The object of the present invention is toprovide a device whlch Wlll effectively stack or pileup the blanks onthe conveyor so that they may be removed manually therefrom or bedischarged as a whole onto another conveyor. To this end the 1nventionconsists-in the improved stacking device hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended clalms In the accompanymdrawings illustrating the preferred form 0 the nvent1on, F1g. 1 is a topplan of the improved stacking device; and Fig. 2 is a section takenalong the line 22 of Fig. 1. I

Theimproved device for stacklng or piling up sheet metal or body blanks'COIIIPIISGS a conveyor consisting of the chalns 5 and 6 which pass attheir forward ends over the sprocket wheels 7 and 8 mounted on the shaft9 journaled at its ends in braokets'lO depending-from the side walls 11and 12 whlch may be supported from the framework of the machine withwhich the stacking device is asso ciated. One such machine is shown anddescribed in our copending application Serial No. 126,990, filed August4, 1926. At their rear ends the conveyor chains 5 and 6- pas s oversprocket wheels, one of which s 1nd1- cated at 13 in Fig. 2, mounted onthe shaft 14. The upper sections 15 of the conveyor travel constantly inthe direction indloated by the arrow in Fig. 2, and for this purposepower may be transmitted in any desired manner to the shaft 9.

As asheet of metal is acted upon by the body blank cutters, the bodyblanks are shot forward from the cutters onto the crosspieces 16extending from the upper edge of the slde wall 12 to the upper edge ofthe side wall ll, thereby constituting bridges for supportmg the bodyblanks as they come from the cutters, as fully shown and described inour said; application. The odd alternate blanks 17 18 and'19 aresupported by their rlght hand edges on the cross-pieces 16 and the evenalternate blanks 20, 21 and 22 by theirleft hand edges on thecross-pieces 16. Th1s support of the body blanks by the crosspleces 16continues only so long'as the body blanks are traveling forwardly underthe impulse of the cutting action, and as soon as this impulse isdissipated the body blanks fall downwardlyontothe upper sections 15 ofthe conveyor chains located beneath the crosspieces 16. Extending fromthe ends of the three left hand cross-pieces 16 downwardly and forwardlyin the direction of travel of the upper sections 15 of the conveyorchains are a series of guides 24 which serve to direct the evenalternate blanks 20, 21 and 22 onto the conveyor chains in the samerelative position in WhlCh they come from the cutters, the odd alternateblanks 17, 18 and 19 being unsupported, turn over as they fall and landbottom-side up on the conveyor. This mode of operation and the means bywhich it is accomplished constitute the subject-matter of our saidapplication.

To prevent the body blanks falling uponthe conveyor from beingimmediately discharged from the conveyor we provide a retarding meanscomprising the wedge blocks 25. There are two alined'series of the wedgeblocks 25, one series being attached to the lower edge of the sidewall11 and the other series being attached to the lower edge of the sidewall 12. The wedge blocks 25 are positioned somewhat in advance of thethree right hand cross-pieces 16. Each Wedge.

block 25 is provided on its rear face with an inclined surface 26which'is in the path of travel of the ends of the body blanks carried bythe conveyor. The frictional engagement of the body blanks with theconveyor is sufficient to carr the body blanks against the lower part oft e inclined surfaces 26 of the wedge blocks, To prevent the body blanksfrom traveling too far u theinclined surfaces 26 of the wedge blocks byreason of the frictional engagement between the body blanks in theconveyor we provide the stop arms 28 pivotally mounted at 29 on theguides 24. The forward pair of stop arms 30 are pivotally mounted on thetruncated guides 31 depending from the right hand cross-piece 16.Whether each pair of body blanks held on the rear slde of each pair ofwedgle blocks 25 by the stop arms 28 overlap eac other accurately .orwhether any of the blanks is askew is immaterial and depends upon therelative positions of'the blanks as they descend onto the conveyorchains. a

To aline the body blanks of each pair and body blanks on top of thepreceding pairs, the conveyor chains 5 and 6 are rovided with a pair ofalined In S 33. T e travel of the upper sections of t e conveyor chainsin the right hand directionfvi'ewing Fig. 2, causes the front edges ofthe lugs 33 to engage with the rear ed es of the ends of the first pairof body blan s '34 held to the rear of the left hand pair of wedgeblocks 25. As

/ the lugs 33 push the pair ofblanks 34 up the inclined surfaces 26 ofthe first pair of wedge shoved onto the top surfaces of the wedgeblocks, as indicated at 35, the position of the lugs 33 at this pointbeing indicated .atB.

The continued forward travel of the lugs pushes the pair of body blanksoff the first pair of wedge blocks 25 and onto the pair of ody blanks 36held at the rear of the second pair of wedge blocks 25. The lugs 33 thenpush the four superposed body blanks up the rear inclined surfaces ofthe second pair of wedge blocks and onto the top surfaces thereof, asindicated at 37, the stop arms. 28 acting to aline the four blanks. Theposition of the lugs 33 at this point is indicated at .C. The four bodyblanks on the second pair of wedge blocks are pushed forward onto thepair of body blanks 38 held at the rear of the third or right hand pairof wedge blocks 25. The continued forward travel of the lugs 33 pushesthe six superposed'body' blanks onto the top surfaces of the right handpair of wedge blocks 25, as

indicated at 39, the position of the lugs 33 at this point beingindicated at D. The six superposed body blanks 39 may be removedmanually from the ,wedge blocks or the lugs push them over theirretaining wedge blocks, and to pile thB'SUCCOSSIVB pairs of into areceptacle.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new is 1. A devicefor stacking sheet metal blanks comprising, a conveyor, a-series ofretarding members located adjacent the path of travel of the conveyorfor holding back blanks placed on the conveyor, the frictionalengagement of the blanks with the conveyor being insuflicient to carrythe blanks beyond the retarding members, and means on the conveyor forpositively engagin the blanks and pushing them over the retar ingmembers.

2. A device for stacking sheet metal blanks or the like comprising, ahorizontally arranged conveyor traveling in one direction, a series ofretarding devices located adjacent the conveyor to en age and hold backthe blanks resting on t e conveyor and carried forward by theirfrictional engagement therewith, said frictional engagement between theblanks and conveyor being insufiicient to carry the blanks over theretarding devices, and means on the conveyor for positively engaging theblanks to carry them successively over the retarding devices and depositthem on the blanks held by the next preceding retarding device.

3. A device for stacking sheet metal blanks comprising, a conveyor, aseries of pairs of wedge blocks between which the conveyor passes, theinclined surfaces of the blocks facing the direction of travel of theconveyor, amovable stop arm arranged over each inclined surface, thefrictional engagement of the blanks with the conveyor bein insuificientto push the blanks up the inchned surfaces past the stop arms, and lugson the conveyor for positively engaging the rear edges of the blanks topush them over a pair of wedge blocks and deposit them on the blanksheld at the rear side of the preceding blocks.

block with its free end directed toward the inclined surface of thewedge block and in the path of travel of the blanks, and means on t econveyor for positively engaging the rear edges of the blanks andpushing them over the wedge blocks successively, the blanks pushed overthe wedge blocks falling onto and piling up on the blanksheld on therear side of the preceding wedge blocks.

5. In a machine for delivering a series of blanks. having a conveyortraveling transversely of the direction in which the blanks aredelivered, means in combination with the conveyor for stacking theblanks comprising a series of retarding devices located adjacent theconveyor and spaced along its direction of travel for engaging andholding back blanks placed transversely on the conveyor, the frictionalengagement of the blanks with the conveyor being insilflicient to carrythe blanks over the retarding devices,

and means on the conveyor for positivelyengagin the blanks and pushingthem over the retar ing devices, said retarding devices 10 being spacedapart a distance permitting the blanks pushed Over a retarding device tofall onto the blanks held at the rear of the next preceding retardingdevice.

JOHN H. YOUNG. WILBUR G. FRINK.

